Billy Hau ???

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Conserving Hong Kongs Biodiversity Resources
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Billy Hau ??? Department of Ecology
Biodiversity chhau_at_hkucc.hku.hk 21 December 2002
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Programme 4 General Science Introduction to
Environmental Science Lecture 2 Part 1

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• ?????????? Biodiversity Resource

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- HK is well in side the tropics
Tropic of Cancer ????
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HK has abundant rainfall and a mild temperature
range Mean annual rainfall 2214 ?? mean annual
temperature 22.8 C
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- Due to the Pearl River influence, more brackish
water habitats in the western side of HK.
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- The stronger oceanic current from the Pacific
created more marine habitats in the eastern
waters of HK
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HKs vegetation cover today
secondary forest (8)
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??? 4.5
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• Mammals ??
• Marine
• Only two species regularly occur in HK waters
• i. ?? Finless porpoise
• More common in eastern HK waters e.g. Sai Kung
• ii. ????? Chinese White Dolphin
• More common in the western waters of HK e.g.
  North Lantau. A marine park at Sha Chau and Lung
  Kwu Chau has been set up to protect this species.
• See - http//www.afcd.gov.hk/conservation/con_e.ht
  m

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Example ?? Malayan Porcupine
http//www.afcd.gov.hk/conservation/con_e.htm
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b. ??
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Examples

• Greater Painted Snipe ? ?
• A locally important species. Two sites (nesting)
  found in HK, one at Kam Tin, now pretty much
  trashed various projects including the West Rail.
  The other one at Long Valley

2. Black-faced Spoonbill ???? - Globally
threatened! World population estimated at 660!
Nest at Korea and northest China. Winter at
Japan, Taiwan, HK, Macau, and north Vietnam.
About 138 152 winter at Mai Po in the last few
years.
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3. White-bellied Sea Eagle ???? - Regionally
important. About ten pairs regularly nesting
along HKs coast. The pair near HK Disneyland may
be affected by the theme park development.
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2. ???????
c. ?????
i. ???? ii. ????? iii. ????
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• Examples
• i. HK Newt????
• Occur in clean mountain streams
• Of potential global importance
• Once thought endemic to HK, recently found in
  various parts of Guangdong.
• Still rare.

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ii. Romers Tree Frog ?????

• Endemic to HK and globally important
• Found on several islands only
• Once threatened by the Chep Lap Kok Airport
  development
• The former Chek Lap Kok population has been
  relocated by our department to several places on
  the New Territories

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• iii. Chelonians ?
• Tortoise (terrestrial)
• Turtles (aquatic)
• Terrapins (semi-aquatic)

0 4 (1 FW) 5 (1 introduced)
??? Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans
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Turtle - Marine turtles ??

• 3 species, Green Turtle Leatherback Turtle and
  Pacific Ridley Turtle
• Only one nesting site of one species
• Chelonia mydas Green Turtle ???
• The nesting site at Sham Wan, Lamma, has already
  been designated a Resticted Area under the Wild
  Animals Protection Ordinance.

http//www.afcd.gov.hk/conservation/con_e.htm
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Turtle FW turtle

• One species

- Only found in fish ponds in Deep Bay
- Chinese Soft-shelled Turtle Pelodiscus sinensis
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• Those found in reservoirs are probably released
  by the public

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Terrapins

• All 4 native species are of Global Concern

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- All are stream species
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Platysternon megacephalum Big-headed Terrapin
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Cuora trifasciata Three-banded Box Terrapin
Sacalia bealei Beales Terrapin
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Asian Turtle Crisis

• Southern China esp. Guangdong has been the major
  consumer market of turtles.
• Most wild turtle populations in China have been
  threatened.
• Now importing turtles from other Asian countries
  such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia etc.
• Except soft-shelled turtle which can be farmed,
  all hard shells are wild caught.
• A contemporary conservation issue in the coming
  years.

http//nytts.org/asianturtlecrisis.html
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2. ???????
d. ??

• ??? Horseshoe Crab
• Threatened by hunting and habitat destruction.

This picture was taken at a Guangzhou 2 months
ago!
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• -??
• ??? Birdwing Butterfly Triodes helena
• Protected in HK

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• ????? Black Paradise Fish Macropodus
  hongkongensis
• Identity recently confrimed
• Globally important species

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2. ???????
e. ??
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????? Ladys Slipper Orchid
??? Pitcher Plant
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3.????????????????
a ?????

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- ??2??(25.2 ????)
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b ??????????
Turning most grassland and shrubland back to
forest
Source Yip, 2002
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c. ??????
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d. ??????????
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Mikania ???
e. ???????
Oryzias curvinotus ?????
Gambusia affinis ???
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f. ?????????
?? 3?9 ?0 2
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References
Chau, L., Lau, M., Hau, B. and Siu, G. 2000. The
Present Status and Conservation of the
Biodiversity in Hong Kong. China Biodiversity,
8(1) 25-35 Ashworth, J.M., Corlett, R.T.,
Dudgeon, D., Melville, D.S. and Tang, W.S.M.
1993. Hong Kong Flora and Fauna computing
Conservation, Hong Kong Ecological Database.
World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong, 24
pp. Dudgeon, D. and Corlett, R. 1994. Hills and
Streams An Ecology of Hong Kong. Hong Kong
University Press, 234 pp. Morton, B. and Morton,
J. 1983. The Sea Shore Ecology of Hong Kong. Hong
Kong University Press, 350pp. Morton, B. and
Ruxton, J. 1992. Hoi Ha Wan. World Wide Fund for
Nature Hong Kong, 55pp.
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For images to help prepare teaching materials,
may consider the following books
Viney, C., Phillipps, K. and Lam, C.Y. 1994.
Birds of Hong Kong and South China. Sixth
edition. Government Printer, Hong Kong. Karsen,
S.J., Lau, M.W.N. and Bogadel, A. 1998. Hong Kong
Amphibians and Reptiles. 2nd Edition. Provisional
Urban Council, Hong Kong. Lam, K.S. 2002.
Freshwater Fish in Hong Kong. Friends of the
Country Parks, Hong Kong. Young, J.J. Yiu, V.
2002. Butterfly Watching in Hong Kong. Wan Ki
Book Co. Ltd., Hong Kong. Wilson, K.D.P. 1995.
Hong Kong Dragonflies. Urban Council, Hong Kong.
Ades, G.W.J., Lau, M.W.N. and Crow, P.A. 2002.
Mammals of Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve. Friends of
the Country Parks, Hong Kong.